Vitas Experience?

renerian, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2003

Good luck wren...............

renerian

Hal_Dol · Feb 20, 2009

Though it is 2009 as I type this, I can't stand the thought of someone else reading this thread and believing everything they see!

VITAS is the only hospice I have worked for so I cannot compare the service they provide to service provided by other for-profit (aka evil) or non-profit (aka we're all Mother Teresa) companies/ organizations.

VITAS has field teams led by an RN who visits 1-2 times a week when patient is stable and daily when there is a signifigant change taking place. During the times of change -- or crisis -- there is 24 hour per day bedside 1-on-1 care. I know VITAS staff this way because I am an LPN that works ONLY 13 hour night shifts on "crisis care".

The fact that VITAS continues to grow year-over-year suggests we are doing a good job at filling a need.

Pax Vobiscum,

Allan Paterson, [email protected]

Pain makes man think,

Thought makes man wise,

Wisdom makes pain endurable.

Teahouse of the August Moon

dlxrn · Feb 20, 2009

I have the same question...no death visits? What about Hospice presence at time of death to provide SUPPORT? And who confirms the death..if the nurse is not present? I cannot imagine even half of our families not having us there..we are such a vital part of the death process.

caliotter3 · Feb 20, 2009

Attended their open house. The presentation was ok and they were eager to get us to fill out applications, leave our resumes, and get on line for interviews. After the interview, was told that I would be hearing back from them. Well, time passed. After four or five days, I called. Got the phone run around. Never got anyone to give me an answer. Well, fine, I think I get the message. I really got it when you didn't bother to contact me after five days. Kind of disgusting was the phone behavior of the people I talked to. I can't believe that one person at a hospice organization would act like that on the phone, much less everyone that I talked to. Wonder how they get any clients. Basic phone courtesy, they call it. Lacking at that office. They sure turned me off as a potential employee.

youngheartoldhead · Feb 20, 2009

Hal_Dol,

It's so good to hear from someone out there who loves their job! :yeah: With the current healthcare situation and all too frequent poor treatment of nurses, it gives us hope that there are still a few places out there that play fair.

I spoke to a friend of mine the other day that is very happy at the hospice she has been working at for the last 9 months. My situation is the total opposite of hers and I was having a baaaad day....and although I had a tiny moment of jealousy, a feeling of calm came over me just knowing that it DOES and CAN get better.

Hal_Dol · Feb 21, 2009

Hello Youngheart....:

Hospice just seems to be "my niche" ; I was a total disaster in a hospital unit, even a skilled care nursing home. (At the nursing home had this "terrible" habit of spending a moment talking to the residents instead of doing my charting. Finally got not-so-gently-pushed-out-the-door.)

I am now in the LPN-to-RN transition program at the local community college. At the "introduce yourself" on orientation day all the fresh young visionaries, who were NOT LPN's already, were gushing about how happy they were to have finally been accepted / I've always wanted to be a nurse type of comment.

When it was my turn I said, "I'm already an LPN, and I LOVE the job I have. But the company I work for only hires LPNs for night shifts. Well, I'm 63 years old---so around 4:30 am my body says, 'Why don't you get a day job'. Becoming an RN will just open new doors for me."

Allan

PS:Guessing from your online name you aren't just out of high school, true? Personally I'm a retired government fisheries biologist with a B.Sc. in my back pocket and 25,000 miles of coastal and offshore sailing during my "retirement". Only got into nursing in 1999.